The General Discussion Lounge

[grissom]

There's no way in hell FBAAF is better than The Ned Zone. It's a boring, pointless excuse to make bad jokes about 19th century England in irritating accents.

[Henrik P]

The Ned Zone was a great segment. The best for a few years actually. FBAAF is definitely not better.

[Nebuchanezzar]

There's no way in hell FBAAF is better than The Ned Zone. It's a boring, pointless excuse to make bad jokes about 19th century England in irritating accents.

Boring and pointless? I can't agree with that theory. I found it pretty entertaining and mildly exciting, especially by comparison to the THOH episodes preceeding it and the one after it. It was a decent mystery holding everything in place with Lisa having what I view as an enjoyable romp in 19th century (I guess it's not 18th, meh) England, yes, with cheap jokes regarding England and shallow culture references. That doesn't make it nessecarily bad though. It wasn't anything special, but the references, the humour and the mystery were enough to hold it together enough and make it a fairly good THOH segment. Not up there with the best, but still up there nonetheless.

I think I mentioned it before, but I loved the animation throughout the first two of the segments of THOH XV. I'd also like to say one of my favourite scenes in...any Simpsons episode was in THOH VIII, in Easy Bake Coven. Awesome and detailed atmospheric animation in that last part. I love it.

[Veryjammy]

I loathe Four Beheadings And A Funeral with a passion. One of my least favourite THOH segments of all time. It's like watching some tacky, dull, badly scripted kids cartoon.

[DumHonkey]

A few seasons ago, it seemed that the writers were going with a run on gag about what dangerous place Maggie could appear in.

The Garbage can, the vaccum cleaner, behind the dry wall, then suddenly no longer. Am I missing some?

[TheFlandersMan]

yes, with cheap jokes regarding England and shallow culture references.

And then..

It wasn't anything special, but the references, the humour and the mystery were enough to hold it together enough and make it a fairly good THOH segment.

[Postmaster]

I loathe Four Beheadings And A Funeral with a passion. One of my least favourite THOH segments of all time. It's like watching some tacky, dull, badly scripted kids cartoon.

Especially with all the refrences to violently murdering prostitutes and opium dens. Overall it Seemed ok to me and even though The Ned Zone is the best segment, nothing in FBAAF (if your dyslexic that abreviation could look like a production code) is anywhere as awful as that fucking "the garage is here too" ending to the Ned Zone. Honestly what a way to ruin the best segment the Jean staff has produced.

[Jayrayman]

THOH XV is possibly my least favourite Treehouse episode of all time, but The Ned Zone was an original and enjoyable segment. I though Four Beheadings was beyond terrible and In the Belly of the Boss was just dull really.

[Nebuchanezzar]

Flandersman: I've never seen anything taken more out of context.

yes, with cheap jokes regarding England and shallow culture references. That doesn't make it nessecarily bad though

Translation: I have no problem with shallow culture references or cheap jokes, especially in Halloween episodes.

[Reservoir Dog]

I have a question about season 8. I was watching "Burns Baby Burns" and there was a factory shown in the episode and Homer says something like "damn economic recovery". Well I noticed that that factory is very similar to the factory Bart bought in "Homer's Enemy", just in "Homers Enemy" it was deserted. So what do you think am i on to something?

[Nebuchanezzar]

No, I very much doubt that.

[coltonwiggum]

I have a question about season 8. I was watching "Burns Baby Burns" and there was a factory shown in the episode and Homer says something like "damn economic recovery". Well I noticed that that factory is very similar to the factory Bart bought in "Homer's Enemy", just in "Homers Enemy" it was deserted. So what do you think am i on to something?

Its always fun to think about things like this, but I'm sure it is just a coincidence.

[Reservoir Dog]

yeah, maybe it is a coincidence, but they might have used the same factory drawing model in both episodes.

[coltonwiggum]

yeah, maybe it is a coincidence, but they might have used the same factory drawing model in both episodes.

Ahh, just what I was thinking. What I was trying to say was they don't sit there planning out little, meaningless things like this... hopefully. But then again, with episodes like The Mook, the chef, the wife, and her Homer... one can only wonder what else they did with all their time. No, I'm just joking. I feel bad when I make comments like that and don't specify that I was only humouring people.

[kid_presentable]

This made me feel like a geek for the thought even occuring to me. Do you think the midget actor who played Lisa in "Burn's Heir" and Hamburgler guy in "Homie the Clown" is Mel Zets, the M.C. Bart fills in for in "Bart After Dark?" The tuxedo looks like it would fit that guy. Lol. What a nerdy question. Whaddya think?

[Reservoir Dog]

I'm going to sound even nerdier when i tell you this but, the guy you are talking about is the Estonian Dwarf, but no i dont think he could be a comidian, even a bad one. Plus, there are probably more midgets that the estonian dwarf. Springfield is a town founded by circus freaks.

Good thought though

[kid_presentable]

Lol. Wow. My nerd hat is off to you

[Charlie]

Yes, the Estonian Dwarf...one of David Mirkins favourite re-used characters between late season 5 and early season 7 (he was also in Radioactive Man). His darkest hour would have been Homer almost killing him when he "tried to steal the hamburgers". Oops, I just realized this has nothing to do with what kid_presentable asked.

[Mr_Scorpion]

With all the old characters Jean has brought back, I think it's about time the Estonian dwarf made a comeback. I know I personally found each and every one of his appearances hysterical.

[Charlie]

I, personally, would feel very uncomfortable with the Estonian Dwarf making a return (but then, thinking about it, Jean DID do the almost impossible and bring back Dr. Monroe). I just guess I am one of those people that would feel bringing back the Estonian Dwarf during the current state of the show would actually ruin the character and make his appearances during Mirkin's years less enjoyable.

[Reservoir Dog]

Well as long as they use him for a punchline he is really funny, but he has kind of been replaced by moleman. By the way when was the last episode he was in?

[Mr_Scorpion]

The last time I remember seeing him was in "Radioactive Man." I could be wrong, though.

[Charlie]

I'm thinking...possibly Radioactive Man in Season 7? (He plays Milhouse's stunt double and then at the end replaces Milhouse in class)

[Imperciph]

Interesting thing to note is that how most of recurring characters introduced and used and even one-timers during the Mirkin era are of a more hilariously surreal nature : the estonian dwarf, Number One, goofy looking college nerds, one eye-browed baby (though O & W came with it).

And then Oakley and Weinstein's one-timers and introduced recurring characters are of a more realistic nature (Frank Grimes, Don Brodka, the women from country club, increase in usage of CBG and Superintendent Chalmers) with the main source of humour from these characters being of the observational type.

Again just goes on to show how much influence the showrunner has on the show : even the characters they use during the episodes they produce reflect their style of comedy.

[Mr Black]

Jean should bring back Lionel Hutz and Maude Flanders. In an episode Maude will be raised from the dead. < just kidding.

[Reservoir Dog]

Yeah Lionel Hutz would be hard to bring back ever since Phil Hartman's untimely death. By the way did the simpsons ever have a memorial for Phil Hartman or one of his characters on the show?

[Dark Homer]

According to snpp, there was some sort of dedication in Bart the Mother and a dedication on a repeat of Bart Carny

[Dental Plan!]

The was also a dedication in the second guidebook.

[Reservoir Dog]

The guidebook in the dvds?

[Adam R]

No, the episode guides, that go by the rather catchy titles (and variations of) "The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favourite Family".